Restraining strap securement system

ABSTRACT

A restraining strap securement system for a trailer includes a load-restraining strap with a flat hook that connects to the trailer side rail. The trailer side rail extends along the sides of the trailer and comprises a bottom wall with an opening for receiving the flat hook. A keeper slides upon a rail affixed to the bottom wall and the keeper may be positioned to extend beneath the flat hook and prevent the flat from falling from the opening while the strap is being tightened. The keeper may comprise a hook that can be used to secure tarps or ropes over the trailer load.

REFERENCE TO PRIOR APPLICATION

This is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser. No.12/490,064, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,272,819.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is related to a trailer, and more specifically, toa load securement system of a flatbed trailer.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A trailer, such as a flatbed trailer, has a load securement systemcomprising load restraining straps that attach to the trailer. Arestraining strap securement system for a trailer includes aload-restraining strap with a flat hook that connects to the trailerside rail. The trailer side rail extends along the sides of the trailerand comprises a bottom wall with an opening for receiving the flat hook.A keeper slides upon a rail affixed to the bottom wall and the keepermay be positioned to extend beneath the flat hook and prevent the flathook from falling from the opening while the strap is being tightened.The keeper may comprise a hook that can be used to secure tarps or ropesover the trailer load.

For purposes of summarizing the invention, certain aspects, advantages,and novel features of the invention have been described herein. It is tobe understood that not necessarily all such advantages may be achievedin accordance with any one particular embodiment of the invention. Thus,the invention may be embodied or carried out in a manner that achievesor optimizes one advantage or group of advantages as taught hereinwithout necessarily achieving other advantages as may be taught orsuggested herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The disclosure can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings. The elements of the drawings are not necessarily to scale,emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principlesof the disclosure. Furthermore, like reference numerals designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 depicts a partial perspective view of a trailer securing a loadin accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a side rail of the trailer of FIG. 1showing a load secured to the trailer, taken along sectional lines AA ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts a perspective view of a flat hook used to secure theload.

FIG. 4 depicts an enlarged detail view of the side rail portion shown inFIG. 2, taken along detail view “B” of FIG. 2 showing a keeper hook.

FIG. 5 depicts a perspective view of the keeper hook as shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 depicts a partial bottom perspective view of the side rail shownin FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 depicts a partial bottom view of the side rail shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side perspective view of the side rail portion shown in FIG.2, without the strap and flat hook.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a partial view of one embodiment of a strap securement system10 that secures a load 11 disposed on a flatbed trailer 9 according tothe present disclosure. The system 10 comprises at least one strap 12which secures the load 11 to the trailer 9. The trailer 9 comprises aside rail 13 which extends along both longitudinal sides of the trailer9. The side rail 13 comprises a rub rail 14 which protects the trailer 9and the load 11 from damage should the trailer 9 be impacted by anobject (not shown). The side rail 13 further comprises a plurality ofopenings 21. The openings 21 receive the at least one strap 12 andprotect the strap from damage or severing if the strap impacts anobject. The strap 12 is secured to the lower side rail wall 27 via aflat hook 15, which is illustrated with further reference to FIG. 2.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the side rail 13 taken along sectionlines “A-A” of FIG. 1. The side rail 13 comprises a generally horizontalfloor section 29 and an outer side rail wall 28 that extends downwardfrom the floor section 29. The outer side rail wall 28 extends along theentire length of the trailer 9. The floor section 29 is coextensive withthe outer side rail wall 28, and the outer side rail wall 28 extendsgenerally perpendicular to the floor section 29.

Upper and lower connector wails 16 and 17 fix the rub rail 14 to theouter side rail wall 28. In this embodiment, the rub rail 14 isgenerally parallel to the outer side rail wall 28 and generallyperpendicular to the upper and lower connector walls 16 and 17. Theupper and lower connector walls 16 and 17 support the rub rail 14 spacedapart from the outer side rail wall 28 and create a substantiallyrectangular open space 22 that extends down the length of the side rail

The upper and lower connector walls 16 and 17 extend generally parallelto each other. The upper wall 16 comprises a plurality of upper openings21 and the lower wall 17 comprises a plurality of lower openings 23 thatare generally aligned with the openings 21 in the upper wail 16. Thestrap 12 can thus pass through the upper opening 21 and the loweropening, 23 in a generally straight line. The strap 12 comprises aflexible portion 24 which may conform to and secure the load 11 (FIG.1).

The lower side rail wall 27 extends generally perpendicularly from theouter side rail wall 28, forming a corner 30 where the outer side railwall 28 meets the lower side rail wall 27. A hook opening 26 is formedin the lower side rail wall near the corner 30. The hook opening 26 issized and shaped to receive and retain a flat hook 15 that is disposedon a free end of the strap 12. The flat hook 15 comprises a free end 25that is received by the hook opening 26. In order to secure a load 11, auser (not shown) may pass the flat hook 15 through the openings 21 and23 and then hook it over the corner 30 such that the free end 25 iswithin the hook opening 26. There must necessarily be slack in theflexible portion 24 of the strap 12 in order for this to beaccomplished. The user then tightens the strap 12 by using a strap winch(not shown).

A keeper 18 restrains the flat hook 15 in position within the opening26. The keeper 18 is slideably connected to a bottom rail 9 disposed onthe lower side rail wall 27 of the side rail 13. After the flat hook 15is in place, the keeper 18 may be slid along the rail 19 until itcontacts the flat hook 15 to hold the flat hook 15 in place while thestrap 12 is being tightened.

In some embodiments, an L-shaped track 41 is disposed on the lower siderail wall 27 and is substantially parallel to the bottom rail 19, TheL-shaped track 41 and the bottom rail 19 may be used together to supporta strap winch (not shown) that may be supported by a “Double-L track”that is known in the art. In other words, the bottom rail 19 may serveas the second “L” in a “Double-L track” pair that may support a strapwinch.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the strap 12 which comprises the flathook 15 and the flexible portion 24. Two protrusions 20 are disposed onthe bottom exterior surface 31 of the Oat hook 15. The protrusions 20maintain the keeper 18 in proper position in contact with the flat hook15, as further shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 (Detail B from FIG. 2) is an enlarged cross-sectional view of theside rail 13 depicting the keeper 18 restraining the flat hook 15. Thebottom rail 19 is affixed to the side rail 13 by a standoff 33. Thebottom rail 19 and the standoff 33 form a shape similar to an invertedletter “T.” In the illustrated embodiment, the outermost leg 36 of therail 19 is longer than the innermost leg 37 of the rail 19. The bottomrail 19 extends down the length of the trailer (not shown). In otherembodiments, the bottom rail 19 may be in a different configuration,provided that the keeper 18 may be slideably coupled to the bottom rail19.

In this embodiment the keeper 18 comprises a generally C-shaped portion34 and a generally J-shaped portion 35. The C-shaped portion 34slideably mates with the bottom rail 19. The J-shaped portion 35 extendsfrom the C-shaped portion 34 and has an inwardly-extending hook 38. Thehook may be used to secure tarps (not shown) or ropes that are coveringa load.

An outer keeper surface 32 of the J-shaped portion 35 contacts thebottom exterior surface 31 of the flat hook 15. In other embodiments ofthe invention, the keeper 18 may be comprised of the C-shaped portion 34that slideably mates with the bottom rail 19 and an extendingflat-hook-contacting portion (not shown), and may not have a J-shapedportion 35. Further, shapes other than a C-shape may be used toslideably secure the keeper 18 to the rail 35.

The keeper 18, which may slide along the rail 19 unless restrained, iskept in place between the two protrusions 20 of the flat hook 15. Thusthe keeper 18 keeps the flat hook 15 in position (i.e., keeps it fromfalling out of the opening 26) and the protrusions 20 on the fiat hook15 in turn maintain the keeper 18 in position along the rail 19. Thewidth “W” (FIG. 5) of the outer keeper surface 32 of the keeper 18 musttherefore be less than the distance D (FIG. 3) between the twoprotrusions 20 in order for the outer keeper surface 32 of the keeper 18to fit in between the protrusions 20 and be restrained by them. Thisrelationship is discussed further below with respect to FIG. 6.

FIG. 5 further illustrates the keeper 18, In this embodiment, the keeper18 has width “W” and a length “L.” The length “L” must be sufficient forthe outer keeper surface 32 to contact the flat hook 15 (FIG. 4) whenthe keeper 18 is slideably positioned beneath the flat hook

FIG. 6 is a bottom perspective view of a segment of the side rail 13with the keeper 18 restraining, the fiat hook 15. The keeper 18 mayslide on the bottom rail 19 in the direction as indicated by directionarrow 40, i.e., longitudinally along the side rail 13.

In operation, the user (not shown) feeds the flat hook 15 through theopenings 21 (FIG. 2) and 23 (FIG. 2) and then hooks the flat hook 15into the opening 26 on the lower side rail wall 27 of the side rail 13.The user then slides the keeper 18 along the bottom rail 19, and overone of the protrusions 20 until the keeper is frictionally held betweenthe two protrusions 20. There is sufficient clearance between the outerkeeper surface 32 (FIG. 4) and the flat hook 15 when the flat hook isheld tightly against the corner 30 (FIG. 4), for example) for the keeper18 to slide over one of the protrusions 20 and then be held in placebetween the two protrusions 20.

FIG. 7 is a partial bottom view of the side rail 13 showing the keeper18 restrained between the protrusions 20 on the flat hook 15. Asdiscussed above, the width W of the keeper 18 must be less than thedistance D between the two protrusions 20 in order for the keeper 18 tofit between the two protrusions 20.

FIG. 8 depicts a partial side perspective view of the side rail 13 shownwithout a strap 12 (FIG. 2) or flat hook 15 (FIG. 2). In thisembodiment, the top surface 42 of the upper connector wall 16 is lowerthan the top surface 43 of the floor section 29. Further, the corner 44between the floor section 29 and the outer side rail wall 28 is smoothand rounded to provide a smooth surface for the strap 12 (FIG. 2) torest against.

Although the keeper 18 is illustrated herein as restraining the flathook 15, in other embodiments the keeper 18 is used without the flathook 15. In such embodiments, the keeper may be used to tie off a load(not shown).

This invention may be provided in other specific forms and embodimentswithout departing from the essential characteristics as describedherein. The embodiment described is to be considered in all aspects asillustrative only and not restrictive in any manner.

As described above and shown in the associated drawings and exhibits,the present invention comprises a trailer load securement system. Whileparticular embodiments of the invention have been described, it will beunderstood, however, that the invention is not limited thereto, sincemodifications may be made by those skilled in the art, particularly inlight of the foregoing teachings. It is, therefore, contemplated by theappended claims to cover any such modifications that incorporate thosefeatures or those improvements that embody the spirit and scope of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A securement system for a trailer, comprising: astrap coupled to a flat hook; a side rail having an opening for engagingthe flat hook to secure a load to the trailer; a bottom rail rigidlyaffixed to the side rail, where the bottom rail is an inverted T-shapedmember; a keeper coupled to the side rail, the keeper engaging the flathook and minimizing movement of the flat hook when the flat hook engagesthe opening.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the keeper is slidablycoupled to the bottom rail.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein the keepercomprises a C-shaped member that slidably engages the inverted T-shapedmember.
 4. The system of claim 3, wherein the keeper comprises anengagement hook that is contiguous with the C-shaped member.
 5. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein the engagement hook engages the flat hookthereby minimizing movement of the flat hook.
 6. The system of claim 1,wherein the flat hook comprises two protrusions.
 7. The system of claim6, wherein the keeper comprises a J-shaped member.
 8. The system ofclaim 7, wherein the two protrusions are separated by a distancesubstantially the width of the J-shaped member.
 9. The system of claim8, wherein the J-shaped member rests between the two protrusions whenthe flat hook engages the opening.